German coach Jurgen Klopp has used Portuguese stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentine Lionel Messi, to alleviate the stress of what his Liverpool team is going through, whether in the English Premier League (Premier League) or the European Champions League.
Last Saturday's draw in the Premier League at home with Brighton 3-3 was another example of the lack of confidence that Liverpool suffers from this season, after a few months of competing for 4 titles last season.
The Reds are ninth in the Premier League, after only two wins in 7 matches, making them 11 points behind leaders Arsenal.
It is true that Klopp did not sound the alarm, but he realizes that Tuesday evening's match - in the third round of the first group competitions of the Champions League - at home (Anfield Stadium) against the Scottish Rangers will be fateful, after the severe loss in the opening round of the continental championship on Naples land. Italian 1-4.
"People can ask: How can these players lose their self-confidence? Do you think that Ronaldo - who is content with playing the role of substitute with his team Manchester United - is currently at the highest levels of self-confidence?" the German coach said.
He continued, "(Ronaldo) was for a very long time the best player in the world, and now things are not going as he would like, and the situation is no longer the same as before. This happens to all of us."
And he added, "Messi's performance last season (his first season with Paris Saint-Germain) was not the same because this kind of thing (self-confidence) is really important to all of us, and you have to work for it. You have to deal with the little things, to take a step in the right direction. And to be really prepared for the moment you come back (as you were before), and that's what we do."
Klopp indicated that it was difficult for his team to build the appropriate momentum due to the interruption in the “Reds” program, as two matches in the Premier League were postponed after the death of Queen Elizabeth II last month.
Liverpool recovered from the humiliating defeat in Naples by beating Ajax in the second round 2-1 with a last gasp, but then missed the matches for nearly 3 weeks, due to the death of the Queen and the international window dedicated to national teams.
After the faltering return against Brighton, Klopp's children will face two very important tests this week, the first of which is tonight in the Rangers meeting, and then next Sunday in the English Premier League at the "Emirates" stadium in the hospitality of the leaders Arsenal, and after that he will return to face Rangers again in Glasgow and after Manchester City.